Monthly Archives: December 2014
Sometimes I just lie awake at night, my twitching legs preventing me sleeping ( as now ) and just think.. Can I tolerate 30 plus more years of this?
It’s a long time -from 18 til now, for me.
Another life, but spent paralysed.
I think of my children to distract me from darker thoughts, but the technique doesn’t always work, leaving me just lying here, more than a little bit down.
Sometimes I have online chats with friends living on the other side of the world, where it’s daytime.
Thanks particularly to Arti, for so often being there.
The dancers, without their dresses..
A message from Voj, who danced like a God.
Dearest Russ,
Oh what a night..
The support was incredible. My fellow dancers were incredible. Dani getting all her fellow dancers drunk backstage was incredible. And then there’s the reason we were all there. Mr Incredible himself. You.
I said at the start, that doing this for your charity was apt as the last time I saw you before your accident was at the jubilant Justers’ wedding and we were indulging in topless dancing (along with Adam, but he doesn’t count as he is always topless and often bottomless). If only *that* girl that demanded only I put my shirt back on was there on Saturday night… She probably would have voted for one of the others as well..
Still, I feel I can say on behalf of all the other participants that it was an awesome event to be a part of. It’s inspiring to see the charity growing further and helping more and more people under such difficult circumstances.
It feels a bit weird and guilty at times that we can all have such a good time, ultimately as a result of your atrocious luck. But if ever your fun loving spirit was encapsulated and celebrated then Saturday night was just that. And if I have to keep dancing with hot women for you Russ, then I’m always here to help.
Keep inspiring us brother.
Onto the next one,
Voj x
Strictly.
…was just incredible.
The room, the floor, the dancers, the music, the judges, the compère. The supporters were practically crazed by the end… Everyone there cheering on their favourite ( but also all the other dancers ).
Obviously it was a competition, but I don’t think anyone minded who ‘won’.
It sounds a bit corny, but yes, they were all winners, as was the charity.
I’ve got so many people to thank.
The Park Club, the staff there, the dancers, the make up artists, Joe the hairdresser, the spray tanning lady ( spraying Sam Devito’s bare arse included ), Cherie for the massages, the fantastic judges ( Nicky Chapman,Joey McNeeley, Conor Maynard,Sophie Ellis-Bextor, ), the truly awesome Saskia Devito-White,Ronnie Ancona for compère’ing so brilliantly,all the guys who carried me up and down stairs, the fantastic supporters who all bought tickets, the sponsors, the caterers, the audio visual people, the lighting crew, Dan White for making it all possible in the first place, and my wife for juggling so many balls in the air these last few months, without dropping any.
The money raised ( unknown at this point ) will all be spent wisely, and will make a difference.
As for me, I’ve got my staff party tonight. To be honest, I could do with a night in, but that just wouldn’t be me..
I’d scribbled a speech, in case I was asked to say something.
I wasn’t asked,but here it is:
It’s just an outline, I thought I’d be able to adlib a bit ….
When I walked out of my house on a sunny day in June 2013, little did I know that within 36 hours…
My world and that of my family would be changed for ever. My near death, my truly terrible injuries, my heart attack in surgery, my coma, my loved ones being prepared for the worst. The tears shed by my family and friends.
Then my body’s fight back from the brink.
SCI takes you out of your comfort zone every minute of every day… In ways unimaginable to a young’ish , healthy person
Not being able to walk is just a little part of it.
Feeling nothing below my tummy button, having little sensation below my shoulders on my back, other than pain, having no control of toilet related functions – that’s crap – literally.
Not being able to sit up in bed, or to straighten my back, to feel a hand on my leg, a sofa beneath my bum, a warm shower. The list of little things I miss is endless.
The charity that was set up in the aftermath of my accident has been supported by people taking themselves out of their comfort zones
The Hogarth 24 hour spinsthon.
My brother, Stuart’s s naked press up world record
The park club boxers in March
Terry Rodhams ironman, and worse, not drinking for 9 MOHTHS!
The Team wdf canoeists
Mike Smith’s desert ultra marathon
Dans self flagellation every day before breakfast
Casey’s fun run, numerous half marathons by lovely people.
And now the strictly dancers. Frankly I can’t imagine a lot worse than dancing in front of judges and a 1000 ppl.
You were all incredible tonight, especially my wife, given her genetic disadvantage towards coordination.
You should all be, and I’m sure are, very proud of yourselves.
The money raised will go to people needing sports kit and financial support to get them out of the despair of SCI and active once more, as well as to my own attempts to volunteer to partake in trials for SCI research and ultimately I hope a cure.
Thank you so much to Saskia and the Park Club crew for making this happen.
It’s taken a shit load of effort and time.
I hope, like me, that you think it was worth it.
Thank you all so much for coming.
And happy Christmas.
Tonight’s the night.
A huge thank you, in advance, to Saskia Devito-French and the Park Club team, for all the incredible work they’ve done to ensure tonight’s Strictly event is a massive success.
It’s going to exceed everyone’s expectations, I know.
God, I’m both excited and nervous for my wife, her dance skills on show in front of a thousand people.
That’s BRAVE!
I’d love it if she won.
After all, when was it ever about just the taking part?
Skiing.
So my instructor said ‘ you are as good after 2 hours as most people are after 3 weeks’
I’ll take that one 🙂
2 topples in 2 hours was good…
Thanks to Hugh, Kev and Vaughan for their help.
And yes, I’m going again next week.
The plan is to crack it before I get 4 days in France, in January.
Russ
PS Thanks to all my staff for their help and kindness in getting me back to work.
I really couldn’t have done it without your help.
X
It’s all rehab..
Since I can’t dance on Saturday and I don’t want to be the only one making a fool of myself this week, I’m going skiing today, to Hemel Hempstead indoor snow centre.
My old buddy, Kevin Young, is coming with me, plus my new buddy, Vaughan, to film a bit of the action.
I think I remember how I did it, back in March, but we’ll see.
Obviously I have an instructor at hand, too, to drag me upright after I’ve toppled sideways.
I intend to give it my best shot, as always.
Life in my new home is better than my new life in my old home – though NOT as good as my old life in my old home…
I went out with, Rick, Q, James, Bret and Cliff on Monday.
I can honestly say that I had a really good laugh – as in genuine/ proper/ not put on/ not pretending to have fun.
I’m slowly getting the fact that I do have to stop thinking about what it was like before, and just appreciate what I still have now.